4.2 Program curriculum

The institution’s curriculum is directly related and appropriate to the purpose and goals of the institution and the diplomas, certificates, or degrees awarded. (Program curriculum)

Judgment of Compliance

Compliant

Narrative

Sam Houston State University is primarily a regional university with a large array of baccalaureate and master’s degrees and a limited number of doctoral degrees in select areas. Approximately 85% of the student body are undergraduates with the vast majority from a 100 mile radius of the campus. Sam Houston State University was created in 1879 to prepare teachers. Over the years, its curriculum has evolved to serve the needs of the region. The curriculum is directly related to the mission and goals of the institution and reflects the degrees awarded.

Section 96.61 of the Texas Statutes Education Code (TEC) identifies Sam Houston State University as “a coeducational institution of higher education” [1]. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) authorizes Sam Houston State University to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees in a variety of academic areas. The curricula content of a proposed program is created by the departmental faculty and subsequently reviewed internally, with an accompanying recommendation, by the departmental, college and university curriculum committee, the Academic Affairs Council, the Provost, and the President; and reviewed externally for approval or denial by The Texas State University System Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Any proposal for a new program is submitted using the THECB’s “New Program Request Form for Bachelor and Master’s Degrees” or following the format detailed in THECB rule 5.46 for doctoral programs [2][3]. The proposals for new programs require a thorough description of the program and curriculum [4][5]. To earn approval by the THECB, the curriculum must be “up-to-date and consistent with current educational theory” [6]. Furthermore, “[P]rofessional programs and those resulting in licensure must also be designed to meet the standards of appropriate regulatory bodies.” The THECB requires that doctoral program proposals face an additional review and site visit from an external team of peers [3]. Thus, this process ensures the curriculum at Sam Houston State University is appropriate for the degrees awarded and meets the standards of higher education. Currency is maintained through the annual curriculum cycle and the biennial review of the catalog.

The curriculum cycle provides an opportunity for the faculty to create and/or delete courses as appropriate. Curriculum reports summarize the curricula changes related to requests not associated with new/altered degree programs as well as those associated with new/altered degree programs [7][8]. Both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs are reviewed every two years. One is reviewed for publication in even–numbered years (undergraduate catalog) and one is reviewed for publication in odd-numbered years (graduate catalog). The academic sections of the catalog are sent to the respective departments for the initial review and subsequently reviewed by a committee comprised of an associate dean from each college, the executive director of the advising center, and an associate vice-president for academic affairs.

The mission of Sam Houston State University, periodically reviewed and approved by The Texas State University System Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, addresses teaching, learning, research, and public service [9][10]. This mission consists of a short mission statement, a history and a table specifying all programs which the University is authorized to offer. Thus, the Coordinating Board review assures that each degree offered is appropriate to the mission.

The Institution’s mission statement states that “Sam Houston State University is a multicultural institution whose mission is to provide excellence by continually improving quality education, scholarship, and service to its students and to appropriate regional, state, national, and international constituencies.” Based on this mission, the University is committed to:

• Promoting students’ intellectual, social, ethical, and leadership growth.
• Recruiting and retaining qualified, dedicated faculty and support staff.
• Recruiting and retaining qualified, motivated students.
• Providing the necessary library and other facilities to support quality instruction, research, and public service.
• Providing an educational environment that encourages systematic inquiry and research.
• Promoting and supporting diversity and providing for equitable opportunities for minorities.
• Offering a wide range of academic studies in pre-professional, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs.
• Collaborating with other universities, institutions, and constituencies.
• Providing instructional research and public service through distance learning and technology.

The University’s curriculum directly relates to portions of the following goals:

At the undergraduate level, the core curriculum (general education requirements) is predicated on a perspective that ensures students are exposed to diverse perspectives, explore ethics, develop a capacity for problem solving and making aesthetic judgments, and understand the political, economic, and social aspects of society [11]. At the graduate level, students must develop abilities to acquire knowledge of disciplinary literature and research or professional skills (see Comprehensive Standard 3.6.2). At the baccalaureate and master’s levels, the University provides a wide range of academic studies as evidenced by the degree inventory [12]. Doctoral programs are offered in areas with recognized need in the University’s service area (e.g., education, criminal justice, and psychology).